Ballot protector



UNITED STATES LORENZO A. CROVILEY, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

BALLOT PROTECTOR.

Specification of Letters Yatent.

Patented May 9, 1922.

Application filed October 7, 1920. Serial No. 415,442.

To all whom it may oom'em:

Be it known that I, LoRnNzo citizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, county of Wayne, State. of Michigan, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Ballot Protectors, and declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention'relatesto a'ballot marker shown in the-accompanying drawings and more particularly described inthe following specification and claims.

It is well known that many mistakes are made in the present system of marking ballots with a pencil, due either-to carelessness.

or the inexperience of the voter, in properly indicating upon the ballot, his choice of the candidates running for any particular oflice.

The object of the present invention is to provide a device adapted to be installed in the voting booth whereby the voter may quickly and readily mark his ballot in such manner as will leave no element of doubt in the minds of the officers counting the votes as to each voters choice of candidate.

A further object of the invention is to provide means wherebv the vote cannot be altered by anyone guilty of maliciously changing the ballot to favor candidates other than those for whom the vote was cast.

A. further object of the invention is to provide means for punching and acaw ballot adiacent to and in line with and through the names of the selected candidates so that the voters choice of candidates may be indicated without any doubt whatsoever as to his intention.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds the invention further consists in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed. it being understood that changes may be made in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed without departing from the spirit of the same.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification:

Figure l is a plan view of the device.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same.

A. CROWLEY, V

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on or about line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a detail view of one of the punching dies.

Referring now to the letters of reference placed upon the drawings:

A, indicates a base-plate of the main or supporting frame of the device, having cars A provided with holes for the passage of screws by which it may be secured to a suitable writing shelf or desk.

13, is a vertically movable plunger supported in a portion of the frame A, overhanging the base. C. is a knob or handle fitted to the upper end of the plunger and bearing upon a shoulder 7) formed in the latter. I) is a transverse pin extending through the knob and plunger to secure said knob to the plunger.

D, is a spring encircling the plunger and housed in the counterbored portion of the overhanging framc.one end of the spring bearing against the end of the knob and the other against the shoulder formed in the supporting frame.

E, is a die-supporting member secured to the end of the plunger by a screw F.

, G, is a removable male punching-die supported in the member E by a screw H.

I, I, I. are relatively smaller male punching-dies also supported in the member E by set screws J; J, J. the several dies being aligned with but spacedfrom the die G.

K, is a rod, secured to the member E by a set screw K. extending up through a hole bored in the overhanging portion of the supporting frame. to guide the vertical movement of the plunger and to prevent horizontal rotation of the die block E.

L. is a U-shaped bifurcated guide secured to the overhanging portion of the casting A and extending downwardly therefrom beneath the plunger and cutting dies :-the plunger when actuated being adapted to pass through the open or slotted portion of the guide.

M, is a female die secured to the base of the casting A adapted to co-act with the male cutting dies G, and I. l. I.

Having thus indicated the several parts by reference letters the construction and operation of the device will be readily understood.

Upon entering the booth. the voter having determined upon his selection of candidates for the respective offices, inserts his ballot i perfora n".

l clvrccn the Uslmped guide L, and the die plate H. adjusting the ballot so that the name oi the candidates for whom he ishes to vote may he seen Llll'OlQh the slot, or bifurcated portion of the guide:- the ballot being so plea-eel that the punching die G will be in :zligmncnt with and immediately prccceding the name of the candidate. .The plunger then manually operated thereby causing the several dies to perforate the ballot adj-scent to and also directly through the naminf ihe rzmdidate for whom he wishes to cast his ballot. The operation is then re peatcrl for each or the several candidates for whom he wishes to vote. The ballot .is then folded in the usualm anner and given to the ollirer in charge of the ballot box, who then deposits the bzillot in the latter. If the voter I wishes to cast his ballot for a straight ticket "he inserts the ballot so that the punch will the ballot at the top of the ticket, at a point usually proividcdto indicate a straight part) vote. Having thus punched the ballot it u ill heseen that it cannot be altered by maliciousl; inclined persons.

Haring thnsdcscribed my invention what il claim is:

r 1. In a dcviceof the character described, a frame havingmp 'rnon overhanging its base, a vertical manually operated plunger rotation of the die b sleeved in the "overhangin'g'portion, a rc rhm'able die block secured to one end of the plunger having a plurality of dies thereon and means for-removing each of said dies fr m the said block.

frame having a portiqnipverhan ging"itsbase. a plunger sleeved 'm the-said'oVer hanging portion i' a substantilly' in'ver'ted T-shaped die block carrying a plu'ralitfyfl of removable ,dies, deta'clrnblysecuredlo the end of tlic 'plungcr and a reriiot able" guid ro d secured "to the die block and projecting through the' o'i erhan ifig portion .ivhlire'by finesse-sweetie 'tion in thepresence of two'witnssesi 

